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L
"But, dearest, how does one
know that these sera will prove
efficacious?" Miriam asked.
"Does it not mean the death of
many poor people who trust to
the hospital doctors?"
"O, no," he answered, patting
her cheek and smiling. "We 'try
it on the dog' literally.
"On dogs?" she asked, lool.ing
at him strangely.
"Surely my dear. Why, we
have fifty or sixty dogs and
guinea pigs and monkeys in cages
all the time, waiting to yield up
their lives for humanity's sake."
Miriam withdrew the hand that
had been clasped in his. She
looked more solemn than he had
ever seen her look before.
"You are a viyisector?" she
gasped.
"I am," he answered, with ar
proud obtuseness. "Why of
course" I am ! What is the pain
less death of a few animals com
pared with the lives of human
beings ?"
"I won't argue it with you,"
she burst out, passionately. "But
I will never marry a man who
tortures animals. You must
choose between your tortures and
me.
And all his remonstrances fail
ed to change her. She would hear
no reason, listen to no appeal. Her
mind was obstinately fixed.
Either Hamlin must give up his
life work or her. And then he
knew thaf his decision was al
ready made because, to him,
duty meant more than anything
in the world. So he had left her.
He had never seen her again.
But he had heard of her marriage
the following year. Her sister
Evelyn had told him, meeting
him by chance in the street, and
then she had blurted out:
- "She doesn't love him, Arthur.
She loves you I know it. But
she is marrying him because her
heart is broken she marries him
tomorrow."
"The mother has been outside
the ward for fifteen minutes, doc
tor," said the house surgeon.
"Shall I let her come in for one
moment? She has her feelings
under control. She's a fine wo
man, that Mrs. Keith."
Keith! That was the name. It
had slipped out of his mind, with
many bitter memories, but he re
membered it now. Miriam had
married Abel Keith, a quiet, old
ish man; this must be her child,
then. It was the faint resem
blance to her that had started his
thoughts along their old well
worn channel.
"Wait, Mercer," said Hamlin,
rising abruptly. "Tell her she
can come in in a moment. I don't
want to meet her. I knew her
once. I want to get out of this."
He rose up hastily and passed
out through the door at the op
posite end of the ward, while the
house surgeon looked after him
in wonder, scenting a tragedy.
But Hamlin hastened down the
stairs, heedless of the impression
he gave. What an irony, that he
should have been the means of
saving her child Miriam's
child!
His duty did not call him back
to the hospital that week. And